Lost & Found
by Milaya Milen Zeal
Summary: Do you know me...? I... I awoke in these woods three months ago. I do not know how and... I, honestly, don't know anything. But I feel... like something is missing. Something... important. LuMa three-part POST-NEW ENDING CTDS. EXTRA PART ADDED
1. Part 1

_**Lost and Found**_

_**Genre:**__ Hurt/Comfort/Romance_

_**Rating:**__ PG-13_

_**Setting:**_ Post-game

**_Disclaimer:_** While I do have both Chrono Trigger and Cross games, I do not make any money off of it or own any of the characters.

_**Spoiler warning:**_ This takes place during and after the new ending of the DS version and also mentions the new ultimate weapons. If you have NOT finished the new ending yet, turn back now!

* * *

_Part 1_

As the group of seven groaned and returned to consciousness, they slowly became aware of their surroundings. And they didn't like it.

There was nothing there, and while the End of Time was very nearly the same, here, there really was nothing at all. Not even a platform to walk on, let along any kind of light, and yet there seemed to be a faint light upon the horizon, separating the sky and ground by a single, bare ray of light. Upon looking up, it was like looking into a never-ending funnel of energy as it seemed to suck up whatever came in the area, but there was no wind whatsoever.

They were silent for a moment longer, before they slowly climbed back to their feet.

"…What this place?" Ayla was the one to break the silence.

"I dunno… but this is definitely freaky," Crono mumbled softly, his hand poised on the hilt of the Rainbow.

Lucca pulled out the Spellslinger (1) and clicked off the safety. "I don't see anything around here… Are you sure this is the right place?" she asked, though she knew very well that it was. If it wasn't, they'd be facing Lavos about now.

As Marle primed the Venus Bow (2), she quipped: "This place is even worse than when we first stood before Lavos…" shivering as she tried not to let the surrounding area affect her as much.

Robo beeped as his head turned back and forth in his way of looking around, his eyes blinking on and off a few times in obvious thought, but he said nothing, even though his arms had shifted into the lethal Apocalypse Arms (3). Frog in the meantime croaked once, the Grandleon (4) already thrumming in his hands.

And Magus merely stood, brushing some imaginary dust off his shoulders, not really seeming to care, despite that he held the Dreamreaper (5) lightly between his fingers, its red blade shimmering slightly despite the lack of light. "Are you all quite finished? Then perhaps we can start looking around for anything 'alive'."

Crono seemed to think for a moment longer, before nodding in agreement. "Alright… let's go."

And so they began to move ahead carefully, their footsteps barely making a noise in the vastness that surrounded them. The silence was so thick that it almost suffocated them, but they kept going regardless.

Finally, after what felt like a short eternity, they stopped as they noticed a cloaked figure standing ahead of them, facing what looked like a closed Gate. Surprised to find anyone in this godforsaken place, they approached cautiously.

But before Crono could address the person…

"Here, Lavos is no more," the figure spoke calmly, as if he had been expecting them to show up. However, the voice seemed almost familiar, but none of them could actually place it that well. Not that they were given the chance to question it, since the figure continued just then. "This is the future in which we've defeated him."

Naturally, that startled the group a little bit… that is until the figure turned around and moved back the hood of his cloak. Magus gasped sharply as the face they were looking at was none other than his own.

However, there were a few differences. One of them being the scar that adorned a good section of his face, as if someone had sliced his face right open. His eyes were a much darker crimson than the group was used to, and they almost appeared lifeless in comparison to their teammate. The last main difference they could see was his hair, which had turned from silvery blue to a light purple, almost.

The group was not given the time to ask anything though, since the other Magus spoke up again. "Whether that is the future of the world from which you've come, I do not know. There are as many worlds as there are potentialities." Once he had finished speaking, he turned back around to face the Gate, turning contemplative.

"A new foe has arisen here, in this endless expanse that is Time's Eclipse," he said solemnly. "It feasts upon thoughts, dreams and memories." At this point, he paused and looked over his shoulder briefly. "Do not think to meddle here. This enemy is my affair."

Without another word said, he thrust his arm right into the Gate, which abruptly caused it to burst open. They were not allowed to question how he could do that, since he stepped through the Gate without another word said, not even glancing back as it closed behind him again.

The group remained silent for a few moments, before they began to exchange glances between each other, silently questioning what had just happened, before turning to Magus.

"Don't look at me," Magus said plainly. "How should I know what a future version of myself is doing here?"

"Gee, I dunno, 'Mr. Prophet'…"

"Don't start with me, Four-eyes."

"Hey whoa, whoa!" Crono quickly stepped in between Magus and Lucca to prevent a fight breaking loose. "Let's not start squabbling amongst ourselves, all right? Right now, we got more important things to deal with, since—and I don't mean to sound condescending, Magus—if the enemy on the other end is more powerful than Lavos, then he's not going to last for long."

Magus and Lucca glared each other down for a few more moments, before both snorted and turned away from each other. Crono breathed a little in relief, knowing that this was their way of saying "Fine".

Once he was sure they would not kill each other, Crono turned to the rest of the team. "All right, everyone agrees on going through that Gate?"

"Yeah."

"Aye."

"Ayla no scared!"

"Let us go."

"Well, we got this far… might as well."

"…Hm."

Nodding once, Crono pulled out the Gate Holder and opened the Gate once more, allowing them to pass through it.

_

* * *

A/N: From this point on, I'll refer to the future version of Magus as "F. Magus"._

* * *

F. Magus screamed out in pain as a blast of lightning struck him head-on and forced him backwards onto his knees. Snarling in rage, he glared up at the enemy before him, tightening his hold on the Dreamreaper as he struggled to get back to his feet. "I've not finished with you yet," he ground out through gritted teeth as he shook off the electricity still surrounding him.

With a roar, he lunged forward and lashed out with a single massive swing. But the hit bounced off ineffectively and left the mage open to another attack that sent him flying backwards just as the group of time travelers exited through the Gate he had come through only moments earlier.

"Ah! Magus!" Marle called out, despite the confusion it would cause to most, had they not known perfectly well which of the two she had meant. They hurried over to the fallen mage as he climbed back to his feet shakily, before they focused their gazes upon his "enemy".

And they all felt their blood freeze in horror.

Whatever it was, it was smaller than Lavos was, but it was definitely similar. Its razor sharp spines arched backward and its tooth-like feet kept it about 3 feet off the ground, while its beak-like mouth opened and closed at irregular intervals, the single eye within watching them all with that familiar menacing glare of Lavos itself. But that wasn't what truly horrified them; it was the crystalline object that rested on top of it, its see-through surface allowing them to perfectly see what was inside.

Which was a single figure, purple dress and cloak in tatters and long blue hair swaying in some unseen wind as the figure remained curled up in a fetal position.

Their daze was broken as F. Magus spoke again. "I believe I told you… not to interfere!"

Shaking off the effects of the last attack, he rushed forward and lashed out once more, the blade finally slicing through the thing's skin, even if the cut was a minor one.

The thing barely let out a sound, but then a voice rang out…

_Let all that once was fade into oblivion! I welcome the end of existence._

As those words were spoken, F. Magus ran to stand in front of the monstrosity and shook his head in despair. "No, Schala! Free yourself from its spell! Please… you must open your eyes!" he begged of the figure.

But his please were answered only by the monster before him gathering energy in its "maw".

"Ah HECK!! MOVE!!" Crono screamed, and the team wasted no time in moving to the sides, only barely avoiding the massive beam of energy that threw F. Magus away. One good look at him revealed him to be out cold thanks to that massive attack, a sizable wound adorning his side, as it had eaten right through his armor. He was still alive, though with a wound like that, he would quite possibly not last for long.

Turning slowly toward the new foe, the group tried not to let their fear show on their faces. While Magus was no match for this guy alone—which they all knew, though no one would admit it—to actually have it visually verified like that nearly made them shake in their shoes.

"This… is bad… this is REALLY bad!" Crono whispered as he brought up the Rainbow, knowing all too well that there was no escape now that the beast had finally taken complete notice of them.

"It seems we've little choice but to fight," Frog said as he primed the Grandleon.

Lucca held up the Spellslinger, but her hands shook noticeably. "This is the new enemy?" she asked hesitantly.

Marle gulped audibly as she raised the Venus Bow. "Isn't that… Lavos? Why is Schala with it?"

Robo beeped in warning as he fell into a battle position. "Offensive power incalculable. We are in extreme danger!" he chimed.

The only one who did not seem shaken as much was Ayla. "Ayla no lose!!"

And Magus merely brought up the Dreamreaper, and, if anything, he shook worse than anyone else of the team. "No… Impossible!" he choked out.

_Embrace your destruction! It is inevitable!_

* * *

The fight was long and brutal. They might not have had a chance against this new enemy, but they were definitely not going down without a fight. Once the shock of the whole affair had worn off and their blood had heated up once more, they were tossing spells and attacks back and forth, using every multi tech they could think of that would do extreme damage.

They used anything and everything they could.

…and yet it wasn't enough.

Just as they were sure they had the thing beaten, it released a blast of energy that knocked them all back, rendering them close to unconsciousness, yet not close enough for them to miss the second blast forming in its maw.

"No! Schala!!" The shout was loud and seemed to echo as F. Magus rushed forward, straight into the line of fire the second it was fired. "Urgh!" The blast smashed into him and, somehow, his armor caught most of the hit. The fact that it didn't rip right through him indicated that the monstrosity had either been weakened considerably, or that it could not fire two massive bolts of energy in a row. He collapsed to his knees, clutching at his chest as the Dreamreaper dropped from his hand, every nerve of his body screaming in sheer agony.

To anyone, it was obvious he would be the first to die because of that action…

…but nothing happened.

There was no scream of sheer pain of him being ripped to shreds, no sound of another blast being charged and released, or the sound of the monster preparing its next move.

Slight confusion on his face, F. Magus raised his head up to look at the figure suspended in the crystal… and a spark of hope ignited in his chest upon realizing that her eyes had opened and she was looking out through hazy blue eyes.

"Schala?" he whispered almost pleadingly.

Slowly, the girl inside the crystal moved until she seemed to hover within the see-through gem, a look of sadness and pain on her face as her eyes shone with unshed tears.

_It is no doubt but a matter of time before Lavos consumes the whole of my awareness._ Her voice seemed to echo throughout the area, her mouth barely seeming to form the words. _It was I, after all, who wished it—wished from the depths of my sadness and despair that all that was would be erased._

The group was lingering on the edges of unconsciousness, barely able to hear the words spoken, as their awareness began to fade away slowly, even as Schala continued to speak.

_The strength you wield now cannot free me._ At this point, she paused and slowly shook her head once. _No, perhaps it is better said that no strength can. So long as you lean upon this crutch of power, this world's sorrow can know no true end._ _Return to your own time now. Dwell not on this._

She raised her hands and chanted wordlessly, just as the group of seven lost their consciousness entirely. Only F. Magus remained then.

He climbed shakily to his feet and moved forward, keeping one hand to the wound on his side, a hopeful look on his face as he reached his other hand out toward the girl, as if expecting her to reach out through the crystalline layer separating them and take his hand. "Schala…"

A small, weak smile formed on her face then, and he knew then that she knew all too well who he was. _Janus…thank you. But I am the girl I was no more. Live, and be strong._

Distress appeared on his face then, and he vigorously shook his head in denial, refusing to believe that this was how it would end. "But Schala—"

_Farewell…_

Just as she spoke that, a Gate opened up behind him. Panic struck him as this scene struck an all-too familiar chord with him as he struggled futilely against the Gate's pull. "Schala!!" he shouted in despair as tears fell from crimson eyes and down his cheeks, before he was pulled into the Gate, once again separating him from the sister he had searched so much and worked so hard for… his soundless scream seeming to echo around the room.

"_Don't leave me!!!"_

* * *

Darkness… that was all there was.

Whether it was because of the time of day or just because of the darkness than now clouded his own tormented heart, he wasn't sure. All he was truly aware of was the vicious sting in his chest threatening to rip him apart, his tears the physical evidence of his agony.

"So, you mean no matter how hard I strive—no matter how strong I grow—there is nothing I might do to save you?" he choked out, barely getting the words out amidst his sobs. His pain had completely immobilized him, his stomach twisting into painful knots and his heart pounding in his throat. "What purpose, then, does this existence serve?"

No answer came to him, and nothing pierced through the endless silence but his own crying.

After an endless moment, his hands slowly lifted up and energy gathered at his fingertips. He watched with empty eyes, completely devoid of any life, tears still rolling endlessly down his cheek. The deadly Shadow energy danced over his gloved hands, evaporating the tears that happened to fall on them.

"If… if this is to be the way of things…" he whispered softly as he moved his hands closer to his chest. "…then let me… abandon all that was… and… hic… fade away as well…"

With those words, he slammed his hands against his chest, the Shadow energy ripping into him and beginning to devour him from the inside out as his cries continued to echo out. Even as he sniffled and sobbed, a single thought echoed in his mind before his mind shut down on him.

'Should a part of me somehow even then remain… then perhaps that will be the birth of something new… something with… greater meaning than all this…'

* * *

(1) Spellslinger = Damage depends on the last digit of Lucca's MP. I prefer this weapon over the random damage of the Wondershot (even though its effect has been changed slightly in the DS version).

(2) Venus Bow = "Lucky number 7". This weapon does a standard 777 damage on enemies, regardless of defense. She doesn't get criticals with this weapon, but even if you equip other weapons, this weapon will always do more damage, even if Marle gets a critical.

(3) Apocalypse Arm = 0 attack power, but the special effect is the same as Ayla's fist at level 99.

(4) Grandleon = No, this isn't a new weapon; this is just the original name of the Masamune.

(5) Dreamreaper = Does 4 times the damage with critical hits. Not that good on its own, until you equip the Dragon's Tear, which drastically increases your Critical Hit rate.

* * *

**Well, that's part 1. Part 2 will deal with the aftermath and part 3 will deal with a part of Chrono Cross.**


	2. Part 2

_**Lost and Found**_

_**Genre:**__ Hurt/Comfort/Romance_

_**Rating:**__ PG-13_

_**Setting:**_ Post-game

_**Spoiler warning:**_ This takes place during and after the new ending of the DS version and also mentions the new ultimate weapons. If you have NOT finished the new ending yet, turn back now!

_

* * *

Part 2_

* * *

Part 2

1006 AD…

A dark period for the Kingdom of Guardia. Or whatever was left of it.

After the fall of the Royal Family and the death of King Crono and Queen Marledia (1), Porre had nearly taken complete control of the northern continent. The troops that constantly patrolled around Truce had driven many villagers to leave their houses behind and leave for Medina, where the Mystics took them under their wing almost instantly. Since they had kept neutral for so long, it would be a fool's errand for Porre to suddenly assault them. Not to mention the fact that their magic was still far superior to Porre's "Elements".

Only a few people still remained in Truce after all the setbacks that had happened. Fritz had taken over the market after his father had perished in the war against Porre.

Jina (2) had stayed put throughout the entire affair and refused to budge afterwards, even when the Porre soldiers came to her house. They didn't try again after meeting the blunt end of her frying pan one too many times. She still protected her house and everything her son had left behind, including the crimson Dreamseeker (3) that had, mysteriously, replaced the Rainbow he had once wielded. The hilt was still covered in the young King's dried up blood.

And lastly, there was Lucca Ashtear, Crono's childhood friend and the only one of the "Heroes of Time" from that era to have survived the war against Porre. As such, this meant that she was one of the two final survivors of that fabled group of seven, considering that Robo had been built long after that war. While she, Crono and Marle had not stuck around for long in the future when they had been searching for Jina, the world had appeared to be at peace.

Her own armor and weapons from their journey rested on a doll in the back of her room, relics of a time that seemed so far away… A time where every day was an adventure in their journey to stop the end of their world. Nowadays, she felt herself missing those times and she often found herself reflecting on the past, reliving those precious memories of her dear friends.

Saying goodbye at the end of their journey had been painful for all of them, she knew, but they had all known from the start that returning to their own time had been a necessity. Even saying goodbye to Magus had been a bummer. Sure, no one really said anything to him, nor did he say anything in return, but she had seen how he had been so tempted to say something to them before disappearing through the Gate.

And Lucca had seen how Marle had almost reached out to offer some healing magic for the wound on Magus' face. When Zeal had lashed out at him with one of her hands, they'd almost been afraid she'd lash his head off. Thankfully she had only struck his face rather than his neck, though the result was still far from pretty. There had been no time to waste on healing the injury, since, as Magus put it; it was a minor injury compared to the other injuries Zeal was causing.

After that, they had not stopped long enough to think about it, having more important matters to think off.

Now that they were 6 years further, Lucca couldn't help but wonder how everyone was doing. A brief trip to the library had revealed to her that Frog had eventually returned back to his human form, most likely because Magus had eventually passed away. After all; if the Fiendlord had been sent back to 12.000 BC, then naturally he'd die long before Frog… or Glenn, as he was henceforth called once more.

But that was as far as her research would take her; there was no data of 65 million years _or_ 12.000 years in the past. That was just asking for the impossible.

And with Crono and Marle gone, she had only so little people to talk to. The majority of her other friends had moved to Medina, and Luccia, her old friend from Porre, barely had the chance to write, let alone come to visit.

She had changed her apparel over the last year, enough to the point where anyone not knowing her well enough would mistake her for someone else. Not because she really wanted to, but because she knew she had to stay in hiding for the moment. To say that she feared for her life without her friends was an understatement; if Crono, one of the strongest magic-users of their era, had died at the hands of an army with only those Elements, how much good would she be against them?

And besides, she still had one reason to live on.

Looking down at the girl sleeping contently in her lap, Lucca couldn't help but allow a small smile. The small girl was sucking her thumb, holding a small plush doll of Crono close to her. Standing up, she moved upstairs to tuck the small girl in.

Kid was all she had left now, and she'd be damned if she let the girl down.

* * *

"I'm okay, mom," Lucca quipped as she worked on breakfast, keeping the phone she had developed stuck between her head and her shoulder by tilting her head to the side. "Kid's doing okay, too. She's a bit hyper at times, but she's happy, and that's all that matters to me right now, really."

Pancakes had never been an easy subject for Lucca, but she'd managed somehow. Her mother had taught her the basics of cooking, and Jina was more than happy to provide her with any information she needed about raising a child.

But the pain in her eyes whenever she looked at the child nearly made Lucca's heart ache. As much as Jina would never admit it, she missed her own child dearly. After Crono's father passed away, the boy was all she'd had left of him. And she had nearly lost him as a child, too.

Losing a parent was never a good thing for a child, especially for one so young. Lucca had been lucky in that Lara had never actually died that fated day. Crono's father had not been so lucky, and Crono had become a silent, withdrawn child, refusing to speak even to his own mother. It had taken Lucca two years to drag him out of that funk, since she knew that it would destroy him if she didn't.

And besides, she owed him for pulling her out of the same thing.

"Anyway, I'll be sure to stop by when I can. … Love you, too, mom."

Sighing softly as she hung up the phone, she tapped it to her forehead. "…Crono, you dolt… why'd you have to leave me all alone like that? I could really use your and Marle's help… or anyone's, for that matter…"

* * *

Shopping was something that she usually didn't do much since she had Fritz bring some supplies most of the time, but sometimes, Lucca just wanted to go out, so she did just that. She always brought Kid along, just in case Porre decided to stop by her place when she wasn't home. Sure, she had Robby and Gonzales to protect her house, but she'd rather have Kid close-by.

No one really looked up as the two girls walked by, with Kid holding on to Lucca's hand tightly. The few people still living in Truce stuck together and did not betray each other, having lived their whole lives in the small city. So even if Porre did come just then, no one would give her away.

Kid was having fun just by walking around with Lucca, sometimes staying behind before kicking off and letting Lucca swing her forward. That simple act was enough to perk Lucca up, though, as she passed by several flyers on the notice board, the feeling started to fade. She'd seen those flyers multiple times, but there kept getting more and more of them.

They were "Missing" flyers, of the children that had disappeared after their parents had been either killed or captured by Porre. Most of them had been previously looked after by their relatives or other caring families, but after a while, they had all run away from home and had never been seen again. Whether Porre had captured them or if they were hiding somewhere, no one was sure, but everyone was worried about them.

And it made Lucca worry all the more about Kid.

"Are you sure you don't need any help?"

Lucca blinked, recognizing the voice as that of Fritz, and turned toward the market's entrance.

"No, thank you, I'll manage," said a man as he walked out the door, carrying what looked like a heavy bag of supplies in his arms. He was donning a heavy traveler's cloak, effectively hiding his features.

"Are you sure? I could have someone help-"

"No, really, thank you, I'll be fine. My camp is not that far from here." The man spoke with a confident, powerful voice while retaining his politeness, though it sounded a bit clipped at points, like he didn't really want to be there. It actually reminded Lucca of someone she once knew…

Shaking it off, she watched the man as he somehow managed to keep the supplies balanced in his arms, using one hand to keep the items inside from spilling out. His paces were pretty big, but still small enough so that he would not accidentally drop something.

However, just as he made to walk past them, Kid stepped back and kicked off once again. The sudden force of Kid's swing cause Lucca to yelp as she stumbled—and promptly smacked into the man as he passed them.

"Ack!/Ugh!"

Of course, because of that, both of them tumbled to the ground with yowls of surprise, followed by the loud crashes of the man's supplies scattering about the street. Kid, miraculously, had managed to stay standing somehow, thus saving her the pain of hitting the ground and quite possibly hurting herself, though she did look at Lucca and the man in slight confusion, still too young to really understand what she had just done.

"Oh shiiiiizzle!" Lucca caught herself from cussing in front of Kid at the last second. "I'm so sorry!" Climbing to her knees, she started to gather some of the supplies quickly. "Sorry, I wasn't expecting her to do that so suddenly… I'm sorry."

"It's okay…" the man said as he sat up, picking up some of the supplies and putting them back in the bag. Lucca did her best to help, putting the heavier and more solid objects in first, before putting the food supplies in on top to avoid them being smushed in the bag. "It happens… Kids can be unpredictable sometimes."

Thinking that it was a game, Kid toddled over with a bright grin, collecting whatever she could find of the man's scattered supplies and putting them in the bag. Luckily, either Lucca or the man managed to save the foods before they could be crushed under the weight of the other supplies. Kid's actions caused the man to smile a little, and Lucca was just glad that he wasn't angry.

She couldn't see much of his features, even when they were this close, but the few features she could make out did not tell her much. He had a sharp nose, and his mouth was drawn into a tight line, though it loosened up when he smiled. Strangely enough, the look on his face when he wasn't smiling actually seemed really familiar, but she couldn't place it.

Kid giggled happily, reaching into the bag to, obviously, empty it out and start the game again, but the man lightly took her hand and quipped: "Okay, enough playing for now, alright? Maybe next time."

Lucca giggled as Kid pouted unhappily, knowing that, while Kid didn't whine or cry, she would definitely keep up the puppy dog eyes until she had her way.

"Kid, enough already," Lucca said, reaching over and gently picking up the small girl as the man gathered up the bag and rose to his feet as well. "We'll play with the nice mister later, okay?"

Kid let out a brief whine of dissatisfaction, before she nodded. "Kay, Sis…"

Lucca looked to the man with a small look of apology on her face, and he simply nodded in return to show he understood. "I'm sorry again for the trouble."

"No need to worry," he said, briefly waving his hand without moving his arm from around the bag. "I do not mind, really. Nor do I mind if you were to stop by at a later time at my camp."

"Really? Well, thanks." Lucca allowed a smile. This guy might give off an air of total indifference, but he wasn't SO bad, really. "We'll gladly take you up on that offer."

A small smile flashed over his face as she said that and Kid perked up at the thought of playing some more. "I'll look forward to seeing you, then. My camp is to the west of Guardia Forest, within a clearing near some old ruins."

"Oh! You mean the cathedral's ruins?" It was out before she could stop herself and she nearly smacked herself. The people of the current age had all completely forgotten about the cathedral, both that it had ever been there, and why it was destroyed. She could understand why, and she usually avoided speaking about things no one should know, but that had just come out without her thinking about it.

"Oh, so it _was_ a cathedral?" the man asked, a hint of something in his voice she couldn't decipher. "Hmm… In any case, yes, that is the one." Briefly adjusting his hold on the bag, he said with a nod: "I should be going now, before this bag gives in to the weight. I will see you later, then."

Lucca nodded politely, even as Kid waved cheerily after him.

It wasn't until after she had gotten home that Lucca realized that she hadn't asked for his name…

* * *

By the time that Lucca had actual time to go see the stranger, a week had nearly passed by. Kid had been jumping about, constantly asking her when they'd go see "brother" again. The small girl had quickly taken a liking to the man. And as much as Lucca didn't want Kid to get attached to anyone but her, she was kind of glad she might not be alone in raising her now.

That is, assuming the stranger actually wished to stay in Guardia with Porre on the move.

As she began the long trek to the western woods, she held Kid close to her. Halfway through the trip, Kid had used up all her energy and had fallen asleep in Lucca's arms, sucking her thumb. Lucca allowed a smile and kept walking.

As she walked, though, she couldn't help but wonder… Just who _was_ that man? Something about his aura had felt hauntingly familiar, but she couldn't place it. It felt like he came from somewhere far, far away, so far in fact that mere words could not describe from whence he came. There was almost something… magical about him.

…

…

"…no way…"

The thought hit her with such suddenness, that she stopped walking altogether.

"Could it…?"

But before she could actually voice her thoughts, the sound of gunshots snapped her out of her stupor. Once she had managed to identify the sound, she felt herself paling. Only one group of people she knew of used guns.

Porre.

* * *

The soldiers did not move at all after the first shots had been fired, not because they were preparing to aim again, but because they were struck dumb at what they were seeing. A single cloaked figure stood between them and the forest's entrance, two fingers placed lightly on a single wooden staff he held in front of him, which appeared to be hovering about 3 inches above the ground without any help. Upon closer inspection, several bullets laid scattered about the man's feet, still lightly smoking from leaving the barrels of the guns at high speed.

The man's expression was one of anger, even if all they could see under his hood was the bottom half of his face, and with his stance alone he let it be known that he was very displeased. This should've been enough to make anyone back off, and about half of the soldiers seemed just about ready to run for the hills.

"This place is of no concern to any of you." The man spoke so icily that, had it been humanly possible, he would've frozen the entire surrounding area with his words alone. "Leave."

Some of the soldiers briefly glanced at each other, fright visible in their statures alone, before they each turned and ran as fast as their legs could carry them. The commander of the squad spluttered in surprise when they did that, before he shouted after: "Cowards!" However, even as he turned back to the man, it was clear he was just as scared of this person as his subordinates.

"You still want to fight?" the man quipped lightly, before he allowed an almost icy smirk, exposing a pair of razor sharp fangs. "Very well. Come, if it is death you seek!"

* * *

Lucca was hiding behind a tree as those words were spoken, and they made her blood run cold as she remembered clearly the first time she had ever heard those words. Only one person in existence could speak so coldly that he could make a grown man shake in his boots with fear.

"…Magus…" she mouthed, watching in rapt awe as he moved gracefully to use the wooden staff as a shield by spinning it around and around rapidly, deflecting the bullets fired at him, before he rushed (most would believe it to be sprinting, but Lucca could tell he was hovering) straight at them and gave each of them a powerful smack to the back of their necks with the staff. This action surprised her slightly; he had just said, or at least implied, that he would kill them, and yet all he did was knock them unconscious.

As the last of the soldiers fell, he stepped back and looked over his 'handiwork' for a few moments more. Once he seemed completely sure that they were knocked out, he said without turning around: "I know you're there. Show up."

Lucca yelped lightly in surprise, before she gulped and slowly stepped out of her hiding place as he turned around.

Once he caught sight of her, though, his stature shifted immediately. "Oh, it's you," he said wistfully, as if he hadn't expected them to appear, while casually propping up the staff over his shoulder.

For a moment, neither spoke, but then Lucca opened her mouth. "You know… you could have said something about who you were, jerk." She was glad that Kid was still asleep (somehow) so she wouldn't hear her big sister calling the guy names.

As that comment left her mouth though, his face tilted slightly to the side and his mouth twisted into a confused frown. "Something…? Something like what?"

"About who you were, duh!" She hated sounding so condescending at times, but at times, it was the only way to get a response out of Magus.

This time, he didn't give a peep about it. He just stared for a long moment, not really moving much. After about a minute, though, he finally opened his mouth, even if it took a few more tries before he got anything out.

"…you know who I am…?"

The question rendered Lucca speechless. The question had been simple, but it had been laced with something akin to hope, almost as if was hoping to hear her say "yes". But why would he…?

"What do you mean…?" Lucca had the distinct feeling she knew EXACTLY what he meant, but she found herself desperately hoping that he didn't.

"Do you know me…? I… I awoke in these woods three months ago. I do not know how and… I, honestly, don't know anything. But I feel… like something is missing. Something… important." He fell silent for a moment, lowering his head briefly before he looked up at her again. "So…do you?" There was no mistaking it now; he really _was_ hoping for a "yes".

She contemplated on what to say. Sure, this guy did fight a lot like Magus, and he could even hover, but was it really him? Was it even possible? The last she and her friends had seen of Magus had been him jumping into a Gate to 12.000 BC, so how had he managed to get back to their time?

Could it really…?

"…could you remove your hood?" she asked after a moment, pointing to her own head as she did.

He tensed sharply at the question, and seemed about ready to decline, but he shut his mouth quickly. Silence befell them both for a moment longer, neither of the two really knowing what to say or do. However, as one of the soldiers groaned and tried to get up, he quickly struck the guy on the head again, once more knocking him out, without even glancing over to him.

"…all… all right…" he finally said, releasing the staff so that it hovered in place, allowing him to reach for his hood with both hands, moving it back almost hesitantly. Lucca kept her eyes trained on him as the cloth slowly fell away.

And she gasped.

* * *

The first thing she saw was the mass of pale purple strands that hung down past his eyes, the style having slightly changed from what she remembered. But once she had gotten over that, she finally realized why he had clearly been hesitant about removing his hood. The upper part of his face was adorned by a very nasty scar, and she knew right off the bat that it had been caused during the fight against Zeal.

But there was one thing different that made her hesitate.

His eyes were a dark emerald, rather than the fiery crimson she had known for so long.

Yet… those same emerald eyes… she had seen them before somewhere…

'…ah!'

* * *

_"Darn! I lost sight of her!" Crono grumbled softly under his breath. They had been walking around the interior of the city of Enhasa, talking to a creature whom looked an awful lot like Gran and Leon, yet was clearly female. She had been a strange one to talk to, and they still didn't know her name, or even if she was somehow related to the two spirits Frog's blade held._

_"Easy, Crono," Lucca quipped, patting his shoulder. "Let's check the upper floors. Maybe she went over there."_

_"Hmm… sure." Nodding, Crono walked ahead of Lucca and Ayla, with the cavewoman looking around quite energetically._

_They moved toward the stairs, but stopped dead when someone blocked their way up. The trio blinked in surprise when they saw it was a young boy, his hair as blue as that of everyone else in Zeal, but his sharp, emerald eyes were nowhere near the dreaming gaze of the people in Enhasa they had met so far. At his feet sat a small, purple-furred cat, meowing curiously at them, as if questioning them on the boy's behalf who they were._

_Lucca__ adjusted her glasses as she blinked, before she said: "Hey kid, it's not polite to stare, you know?"_

_Ayla pushed up on Lucca's shoulders curiously, nearly pushing the scientist into the ground with the force. "Oh! Creature for eat? Good eat?" she questioned hyperly, and Lucca could just imagine the big grin on the woman's face._

_The boy did not respond to the questions, and instead dashed down the stairs, very nearly knocking them all over. The small cat hurried after him as he went. The trio quickly whirled around to focus their attention on him._

_"The black winds howl…" the boy's voice was solemn and almost wistful, but there was also a certain coldness in it, as if he didn't care either way. Then he turned back to face the small group. "One among you will perish soon."_

_Lucca__'s breath froze as those intense emerald eyes told her that he was NOT joking around._

* * *

They were the same eyes… Sure, they were less cold than she remembered (in fact, they weren't cold at all), and the malice that was usually present in their red counterparts was missing entirely, but they were definitely the eyes of the same boy she had met so long ago in the Kingdom of Zeal.

Now, they were filled with a combination of sadness and a small ray of hope. Sadness at losing everything that had made him… well, "him", and hope at, maybe, finding someone who could help him to recover some of that. But, what was Lucca supposed to say? She knew very well who he was, but would he want to know the things he'd done?

…not to mention, would he believe _that_?

It took several tense seconds, before she made up her mind.

A warm but teasing grin spread over her face before she spoke again. "What? So you're saying you really forgot about "Lucca the Great"? Now that hurts, Janus!"

* * *

"So… this is where all those kids disappeared to?" Lucca asked as she watched Kid playing with the 'missing' children from Truce on the different wooden constructions that had been set up quite recently by the looks of things. The kids didn't appear to be either malnourished or mistreated by anyone. Rather, they seemed to be enjoying themselves quite a lot.

"I wouldn't really call it 'disappeared'," Janus said plainly. "I'd sooner call it hiding away after running away from home."

"What do you mean? That they all ran away on their own?"

"Pretty much. I merely took them in when they had nowhere else to go."

Lucca looked at Janus in slight disbelief, since the guy she had known so long ago would never do such a thing, but one look at his face and she could tell that he meant what he said, even if he wasn't looking her way. Rather than that, he was keeping a watchful eye on the kids as they played, probably to ensure none of them got hurt while playing.

That he was actually watching out for them was a bit of a surprise to Lucca, but somewhere, she felt she could understand it, just a little. He remembered nothing about himself, and he had nothing to live for at that point. He had said he was searching for something, but even he didn't know what it was he was looking for. Those kids might still have their memories, but they had, probably, also been looking for something; a place where there were people who would honestly care about them.

Sure, their family would be able to offer that if they really tried, but it wasn't what the kids wanted. They needed their parents, and that was probably why they had run off like that. It might not have been a very smart idea, to adults, but these kids had figured it was the best idea.

Turning her head away from the kids, Lucca regarded the man sitting next to her for a moment. Even after telling him his name, he had not given any indication that he had recognized either his own or Lucca's. He had thought long and hard, but had clearly been unable to place either of them. But the fact that she knew who he was had been enough for him at that point. Because at least he was not a "nobody" anymore.

Lucca also had an idea of what, or rather who, he was looking for, but she wasn't sure how he would take that. After all, that person was, more than likely, long dead by that point. There was no way that Schala would still be alive now, unless she had somehow been thrown through time, too, but that was something Lucca doubted.

Thus, she wisely kept quiet about his sister.

After a moment of silence, she quipped while pointing to the girls' doll houses: "You made all those yourself?"

"Hmm… pretty much," he said casually. "Children need to keep themselves busy somehow, otherwise they'll start thinking about the situation they're in."

Lucca allowed a small smile. She should be saying something along the lines that it was better to take those kids home, but she couldn't bring herself to. When she looked upon the kids, she could see how happy they were. Sometimes they would run over, calling Janus "Big Brother" and nearly begging him to play with them. Janus would humor them and play along for a little while, which was clearly more than enough for them.

And Kid?

She fit right into the crowd, having the time of her life whether she was playing with the other children or with Janus. The others made sure she wouldn't get hurt falling down or anything of the sort, with the older kids looking after the younger ones. It was almost like a small village of children, now that she thought about it.

With the children so focused on each other, though, it gave Lucca the time to talk to Janus.

She still found it a tad odd to call him that, although she made sure not to let him know of that. The last thing she needed was him getting suspicious of her.

"Sooo… anyway, you said you woke up in this place?" Lucca started casually.

Janus didn't answer right away, opting instead to watch the children play. But Lucca didn't pressure him into answering; she just waited patiently, since she remembered very well that Magus rarely ever answered immediately unless the situation asked for it.

"Yeah… pretty much." When Janus finally answered, Lucca glanced over again. "…I woke up a little further into these woods, but… yeah." At that point, he paused in talking, seeming to lose himself in his thoughts.

…or his memories…

* * *

_It was dark… probably because it was night. One look up revealed a dark sky twinkling with several hundred shimmering stars, and a crescent moon smiling down upon the world. But all these things meant very little to him as he slowly walked past the trees, sometimes leaning up against them when he threatened to lose his balance._

_Slowly, he moved his head to look around, seeing nothing but endless trees within the darkness, hearing nothing but the forest's night creatures calling out, and feeling nothing but the quiet wind that blew through his hair._

_"…What is this place?" he whispered softly to himself, pushing away from a tree and moving forward a bit. However, as he did, his head started pounding, making him cry out as he reached up, falling down to his knees as he briefly lost his balance. The pounding faded after a few moments, leaving him gasping for breath._

_He remained sitting there for a few moments, before a sudden realization came to him. "Who… who am I?" he breathed. "What's happened? I… I don't remember anything…"_

_Gripping his head tightly, he groaned and attempted to remember… anything. But no memories would come to him, though there was one thing he felt very strongly. "There was something… something I needed to do." No… that wasn't right. "Something I needed to… to find."_

_Yes, that sounded right…_

_Climbing back on his feet, he looked around once more. "I must find a way to remember," he determined. "I will."_

_And with those words, he began his solemn trek out of the woods into civilization._

* * *

"I see…" Lucca couldn't think of anything else to say.

The kids had no idea what they were talking about, too busy playing to really pay attention, and for that, she was kind of glad. She wasn't sure how many of them knew that Janus had amnesia, but she wasn't about to find out.

Loss of memory was not a good, or happy, occasion, but from what she remembered, people couldn't actually forget "everything". Somewhere in their subconscious, they'd keep traces of it hidden, and the moment you said something that had some connection to it, the person would begin to remember.

Or at least, that's what she heard.

"Hmm… let me think…" Lucca mumbled, tapping her temple in thought. "Well, maybe if you hear some things from your past, maybe you'll remember something," she offered.

"…That really works?" Janus asked, a touch of hope underlining his voice.

"Sometimes, not always. It all depends on the person, I suppose."

"Oh… I see."

"…Well, it's something, at least. You want to try?"

"…Yeah, sure."

* * *

Lucca turned to face Janus and he merely sat there, watching her while not turning his body around. That way, he could still keep an occasional eye on the kids. She didn't mind as she wracked her brain for anything that could possibly make him remember something about his past.

That was not the easiest thing in the world, since Lucca only had a minimal amount of knowledge of his past and she had a feeling if she said words like "Lavos" or "Schala" he would flip out. She'd save those words for very last if nothing else worked.

"Hmm… Okay, I got it! Time, Reason, Life."

Janus blinked a few times in question, but did not voice them and instead pondered the three words he had been given.

Lucca admitted, it might not do much had the words been said alone, but when put together, the only thing that Lucca would find herself thinking of was the trio of Gurus from Zeal. She just hoped that it would be enough for Janus, for now.

"Time… Reason… Life…" Janus murmured, rubbing his temple. "…there's… there's something… familiar about that… but… I can't…"

Lucca reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder, making him look up. "It's okay. The fact that that did _something_ is enough. At least it means you haven't 'completely' lost your memories."

"…I suppose… but I still want to know…"

Lucca allowed a chuckle. "I know, Janus, I know… Okay! New word!"

* * *

As the kids continued to play, Lucca and Janus continued to talk, with Lucca saying words about the Kingdom of Zeal as they came to mind, and Janus attempting to pin a meaning to them. Half the time he couldn't figure out the significance to them, but sometimes he would actually remember something, like when Lucca imitated a cat, and Janus remembered a cat with purple fur ("But… that doesn't make any sense, does it?" "Hey, we both have purple hair and no one's complaining about us!") or when she pulled a Nu face and Janus laughing while quipping about how she wasn't blue. Small things like that, usually, but it was something at least. And it cheered Janus up in knowing that he hadn't lost ALL his memories.

However, as was normal with everything fun, this made them lose track of time, and before they knew it, the sun was beginning to set and the sky turned red, signaling that Lucca and Kid had to go back home. And as expected, not everyone was happy with that; the other children were all whining and pouting for them to stay, and Kid was giving her trademarked puppy dog eyes at Lucca.

Thankfully, they all perked up when Janus quipped that Kid and Lucca were welcome to stop by at any time.

As Lucca and Kid came back home, Kid had used up all of her remaining energy and was already fast asleep before they had even crossed the bridge to Lucca's house.

Lucca smiled a bit as she headed inside and up the stairs to tuck Kid in.

She would have never imagined that she'd ever see Magus… correction, Janus again. Of all people, he had been the last one she'd expected to run into. Sure, it would've been even less likely to run into Ayla or Glenn, but even so, it was still surprising.

Maybe she should call Melchior sometime and see if she could surprise him with the guy. Who knows, maybe meeting the old man would trigger some memories with Janus. She couldn't get Alfador, so that was out. And as for Schala… well, that was pretty obvious.

She'd mentioned a lot of things from Zeal, but certain things like the Demonic Vessel (4), Dalton, and things that might be a tad sensitive, she had skipped over those, just in case he _did_ remember them.

Some things were just better forgotten. Hell, Lucca wished SHE could forget them at times…

Then again…

If not for Dalton, they wouldn't have obtained the ability of flight for Epoch, and if the Demonic Vessel had never existed they would have never had the Grandleon to begin with. So she supposed that if she forgot about all of the bad things, it would be like forgetting everything that had mattered.

Shaking it away for the moment, Lucca finished tucking in Kid and headed for her own room. As she went, though, a small smile played on her face. She hadn't expected the day to turn out like this, but she wasn't complaining. At least she had someone to really talk to now.

As she climbed into bed, though, she couldn't help but wonder…

'I wonder if he remembers me…'

* * *

_"…Those cretins are still alive?" Magus questioned quietly as he narrowed his eyes. It was obvious that he was not too happy with that little fact._

_"Do you have any idea where they could be hiding?" Crono asked, doing his best not to aggravate the mage any further. Last thing they needed was an angry Magus on their hands. Thankfully, the question only made the mage think about the possibilities for a moment._

_"…I think I do. Ozzie did have another stronghold not that far from my old one…"_

_That was how they ended up at Ozzie's Manor, where they ran into Ozzie, Slash and Flea, who had been more than ready to kill them, even with Magus on their side. …Or maybe that should be especially with Magus on their side._

_Flea had been relatively easy… Slash, a little harder…_

_And then they were coming at them at the same time, which made it so much harder. Even Magus admitted that those three might be easy pickings alone, but when working together… ho boy._

_The fight had been brutal. After joining forces, it was like their entire pattern had changed. Or maybe it had. In any case, they found themselves struggling quite badly, and sure, they managed to score in some hits, but they were hardly doing the damage they wanted to. Crono had Luminaire, sure, and Lucca had her bombs, but with most of Magus' energy drained by Lavos, the chance of him successfully pulling of Dark Matter was rather slim._

_And then they used Delta Storm… and all that went through Lucca's mind was 'Yep, we're dead'._

_But before the thought had really ended, a pale green glow seemed to come from their bodies, an odd kind of warmth coming over them. And while the attack still hit, the damage it did felt way less bad than she would have thought._

_And she had not expected to see Magus standing there, glaring with his hand still partly raised from his previous spell-casting. "Now you've done it…" he mumbled, as if he wasn't expecting anyone to hear it. "Now you've REALLY done it!"_

_And both herself and Crono stared in a combination of surprise, relief and hope as dark energy began to spiral around Magus' hands. And when he shouted, she knew it would bring this fight to a close._

_"DARK MATTER!"_

* * *

The explosion that rang through the air caused Lucca to shoot up with a yowl of surprise. Blinking strangely for a few moments, Lucca glanced around her room, almost afraid that one of her inventions had blown up. Thankfully, that wasn't the case and the explosion of one of her inventions blowing up hadn't set her house on fire. And by the sound of it (or lack thereof) Kid hadn't woken up at the bang, either.

But where had it come from…?

Upon glancing outside by chance, Lucca got her answer.

* * *

The woods surrounding the ruins of the cathedral were still burning like mad by the time Lucca got there, despite the rain that was beginning to fall from the dark clouds above them. The storm had hit so suddenly, that it had startled many others from their slumber. There was little she could do about the fires at this point, and that wasn't really why she had rushed over here in the first place.

It was Janus and the kids she was worried about.

Kid had also been worried, but Lucca had left her in Fritz' care for the time being. She didn't know if she'd be able to find anyone, but in case she didn't, or found them burned along with the forest, she wouldn't want Kid to be there with her. However, she trusted Janus to keep the kids safe, though she really wouldn't know where "safe" would be in this situation.

The only thing she knew was that it was away from all this fire.

"Janus!" she shouted out, cupping her hands over her mouth. "Janus, where are you?"

But there was no response forthcoming from the flames and it made Lucca begin to panic, though she did her best to push it down as much as she could. Panic would only make her an easy target, as Magus had often pointed out when things had started getting antsy. Which kind of explained why she had never seen Magus panic before.

Quickly shaking the memory off, she focused on finding Janus and the kids again.

Just then, she coughed. "Dammit, I should've brought a handkerchief for the smoke!" she coughed out, covering her mouth and nose as she did. "Dang it, Janus! Where did you go!"

No sooner had she sad that or another bolt of lightning ripped through the air, the thunder nearly making her ears ring… just before something struck her to the back of her head and she fell heavily to the ground, vision going black in less than a minute…

* * *

When next she awoke, she could no longer hear the sounds of the fire, though she still caught the occasional thunderclap. She blinked a few times in confusion, wondering where she was, until a voice rang out a little off to the side.

"Ah! Big brother! Big brother, she's awake!"

Groaning, she pushed up, holding onto her head, a bit surprised at feeling the bandages that encircled her head.

"Lucca…" Upon hearing that voice, Lucca looked up. "Are you alright?"

"Janus…" Lucca sighed in relief. "Yeah… I'm okay. Thank you. …But… what about…?"

"The kids are fine. All of them are," Janus said, settling himself down on the 'bed' Lucca had been laying on. "I heard the storm coming a bit before it struck, so I managed to get them in here on time before the fire." Smirking a bit, he added: "And you're lucky you have such a loudmouth or I wouldn't have heard you over the fire."

"Eeeeeh!" Lucca glared. "Who're you calling a loudmouth, you little-"

When Janus laughed, Lucca blinked. "Well, at least you're well enough to be angry," he laughed out. "That's good. Was almost afraid that tree gave you a concussion with its falling branch."

Lucca pouted a bit at that, until she took a moment or two to properly look around. The surrounding area was dark, lit only by the occasional torch, though even those didn't provide enough light to illuminate the entire area. A red carpet covered over 70% the floor, minus about 15% where the moths had been gnawing on it. The walls didn't look to well with the brittle rocks, but they were familiar, still…

"This place is…" she whispered.

"Pretty amazing, huh?" Janus quipped, taking Lucca's surprise as confusion. "I discovered this place by accident. Seems this is an underground crypt of some kind. Whatever it was used for, I don't know… but it makes a good shelter for storms."

Lucca wasn't about to say that she already knew this place existed long before that. That would be weird.

"I see…" Rubbing over her head, she asked: "So how's the fire outside?"

Janus loosely shrugged his shoulders. "It's dying down. The rain's finally starting to douse it, so it should be okay in about an hour."

"That's good… Kid must be worried about me…"

"I'll bet she is…"

* * *

Once the fires had been thoroughly doused, they had all come back out from the darkness to review the damage that had been done. And it wasn't pretty…

The kids had been forced to leave most of their toys outside when the storm struck, and sadly, the fires had gobbled it all up. Despite Janus' attempts to cheer them up by saying he'd make them new toys, they were still saddened by the loss. Worse, still, was that their "hideout" had disappeared. The forest had effectively been burnt to the ground, removing their safe haven from them.

Naturally, Lucca couldn't just leave them like that, which is why, a month later, all of the kids and Janus found themselves living with Lucca and Kid.

That was pretty much how Lucca started her little orphanage alongside Janus.

Even a month after the first time they met, he still didn't remember everything and he didn't have any of his former powerful magic spells, but he hadn't lost it all. He used what little skills he had left to create elaborate magic tricks to entertain the kids, who loved every single trick he pulled.

Like that, they could forget the war, at least for a little while.

The only thing that had proven to be a bit of a downside was the fact that, with all the kids living in her house, there hadn't been enough room for everyone to have their own bed, which caused Lucca and Janus to share a bed for the time being until Janus could make one extra.

But you know?

Lucca had a feeling that Janus kept putting it off until later.

…not that she was complaining.

* * *

(1) Marledia = This was the original Japanese name for Marle as a princess.

(2) Jina = Crono's mother.

(3) Dreamseeker = Crono's ultimate weapon is about 20 attack points stronger than the Rainbow, and has a critical hit rate of 90% rather than 70%.

(4) Demonic Vessel = The original name for the Mammon Machine.

**

* * *

That took me long enough... As you can see, there's a lot going on in this part, and the last part is, most likely, going to be shorter, much like the first part. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this part as well.**


	3. Part 3

_**Lost and Found**_

_**Genre:**__ Hurt/Comfort/Romance_

_**Rating:**__ PG-13_

_**Setting:**_ Post-game

_**Spoiler warning:**_ This takes place during and after the new ending of the DS version and also mentions the new ultimate weapons. If you have NOT finished the new ending yet, turn back now!

_**NOTE: Chapter 2's been updated as well. If you read the earlier version of chapter 2, go back and reread it. It has no real influence on this chapter, but I think it's been improved since I posted it first.**_

_

* * *

Part 3_

* * *

"Well, 'ere we are, mate! Welcome ta Termina!"

The man looked up slowly from where he had been leaning against the cabin, before he stood and lightly dusted himself off. "I thank you. How much do I owe you for the fare?"

"Ah, are ya crazy?" the sailor laughed. "I was plannin' ta get 'ere anyway. I can't take yer money fer tha!"

"But…"

"Nuh-uh. No buts. Now get-a goin' aready, mate!"

"…As you wish. Thank you."

After bowing politely to the sailor whom had just risked his life by coming to El Nido, he walked down the plank to solid ground once again. It was his first time in the city of Termina, but he was sure he would find his mark here.

Many would say he was foolish to follow anything this far, risking your hide to get there, but he had his own reasons for coming there, and he wasn't afraid to risk a limb or two. It was at least better than having no goal at all.

As he walked around the city, he couldn't help but feel like something was definitely amiss. The people seemed to live in a constant fear, even though no one openly showed it. There was a deep fear underlining their everyday activities. Only a select few had no fear at all.

It was… almost familiar.

Shaking the matter off, he continued along the bridge, and stopped briefly to watch the river.

There were times he often felt his memory was like water; he couldn't hold onto it long enough to examine it. Most of the memories of his past were lost, and he didn't even know how old he was, but if he had to make an estimate, he'd say about 26.

Give or take a decade…

Rather than continue to fuss over his unknown past, he had finally just decided to drop his past altogether and make brand new memories that would not be so easily forgotten.

Which had worked up until the day he had been asked to get something from a different village, only to come back and find his only home burned to the ground, all the people inside it gone. The bodies he had found had been too heavily burnt to be recognizable, and with each body he found, he had felt as if a part of himself had died.

However, upon completing the body count, he had determined that not everyone had died… some of them had escaped, but he just didn't know who.

After asking around, he had determined who had started the fire;

A man from El Nido with the face of a powerful feline; Lynx.

A sigh escaped his lips as he looked down into the water, facing his own reflection in the quiet waters.

Solemn green eyes stared back at him from behind a golden mask, long purple hair had been tied back in a braid, with only a few locks hanging down over his face. He was dressed in a white tuxedo, one that seemed to fit him quite well and give off the impression of a magician.

Though, of course, he did a little more than just give an impression.

He had his own little magic show to ensure he would not go hungry in any way. He didn't like to ask for money for his shows, and much rather had some food or a place to spend the night in thanks, but that would only make people suspicious of him. Needless to say, he had built up a good reputation back in Zenan, and, from what the sailor had said, his rep had reached El Nido as well.

That should make it easy to live here, at least for a bit.

His true name had been forgotten, and now he went only by the name of "Guile".

* * *

Well, he was right about one thing; the people in town were truly afraid of something. He just hadn't found out what it was yet. Not that he had that much time to think about it; apparently, there was some kind of festival coming up that almost turned the entire city upside-down.

Things had already started out _great_ when he had struck a bet with the old fortune teller about how he could quite easily get inside Viper Manor and obtain a Dragoon's Honor within a week. What had possessed him to make that bet?

He didn't know, but he was stuck with it now, so he might as well go for it.

This predicament found him in the tavern, nursing a glass of wine in the corner as he debated on the best bet to get into the manor. From the front would be suicide, so he'd have to get in through the back. Sadly, the manor was built along a cliff, so that was equally dangerous, though perhaps less so than going through the front door.

That would require a boat though… not a big one, but a small one, at best.

Just then, the door opened and in walked a very peculiar trio. One of them was a girl with dark red hair and a light brown dress. The second was a girl with blonde hair and sharp blue eyes. She reminded him of a certain girl from his past.

However, just as he made to sip from his glass, a shiver ran down his spine as his bangs swayed slightly as if the wind was blowing, which was impossible within the restaurant.

"…the Black Wind…" he whispered softly under his breath, turning his gaze to the third of the group. A boy of about 17, with dark black hair that had a sheen of dark blue to it, and deep blue eyes, a red bandana hiding most of his hair from view.

Guile said nothing as they walked into the room, with the two girls arguing with each other about something or another, but he did keep a close eye on them. And when he heard the blonde girl mention getting into Viper Manor, his interest in them peaked.

'I wonder…'

As they passed him by, the boy said: "Hey, girls, you can argue all you want, but that doesn't change the fact we have to find a way in, somehow…"

"Take a boat," Guile quipped in response, making all three of them halt in their tracks. "That's what I intend to do, in any case," he added before he took a sip of his wine.

Of course, that made them turn to him in surprise. The blonde was the first to respond. "Eh! Why you wanna get into the Manor, anyway?"

"I would suggest you keep your voice down, kid," Guile said with a small smirk. "After all, this tavern is known for spreading the strangest rumors."

That comment made the girl fume, naturally. Luckily, the boy was there to calm her down. "C'mon, Kid, try to keep your cool, okay? He's got a point."

The moment he spoke, though, Guile blinked in surprise, and while his face didn't show anything, he found himself dumbstruck. 'Kid…? Her name is "Kid"? No way… it couldn't be… could it?'

The blonde huffed and crossed her arms over her chest, as the boy turned to him. "I'm sorry about that, sir… she's just-"

"Guile."

"…huh?"

Guile allowed a small smile. "My name is Guile. They say 'Never ask another's name before stating your own,' after all."

"Oh…" The boy seemed to hesitate for a moment, before he said: "I am Serge. And these are Leena and Kid," while gesturing to the girls in turn upon introducing them. "Pleased to meet you, Guile."

"Likewise, Serge," Guile said politely.

He didn't know why this kid had the Black Wind circling around him like a pack of starving vultures, but he was sure that this trip would prove itself to be quite the interesting experience.

* * *

Finding a boat had been easier than they had all imagined. Still, they decided to wait with heading to Viper Manor until they'd had some time to prepare. The girls had separated to do some 'girl-stuff' as Leena called it, leaving Serge and Guile in charge of getting the required Elements.

That didn't take long for them, so now they were waiting just outside the graveyard for the girls to return.

Guile figured that this was a good as any place to drop the question.

"On a side note, Serge," he said casually, making the boy look up. "Just out of curiosity, have you ever gone through a life-threatening experience before?"

At that question, Serge went pale and tensed. After a long moment of silence, Guile shrugged his shoulders.

"You do not need to answer if you do not want to. I'm just curious."

"…twice."

Guile almost didn't catch that and turned to Serge in confusion. "Excuse me?"

"…I… I nearly died twice. Once, I was bitten by a demon panther… and a few years later, I… I almost drowned."

'That might explain the Black Wind…' Guile thought to himself. 'He's escaped the clutches of death twice already… so they're anxious to drag him down to his grave.'

"I see… I apologize for bringing up those memories."

"No, it's okay… It's just… I haven't really… never mind."

Guile kept a close eye on Serge's face, and noticed that the boy didn't feel too comfortable with the subject regarding how he almost died. So, to make up for that…

"…Well, you are not the only one."

"…eh?"

"I escaped death twice, as well." That got the boy's attention. "One time was when the forest I was spending the night in burned to the ground in a storm. The next… was when someone torched my house." Allowing a small smile, he said: "I guess fire is not a big fan of mine."

At that, Serge actually chuckled. "I suppose not… But… aren't you…?"

"Afraid? No. That would do me little good. Are you afraid of cats?"

At that, Serge actually tensed. "Um… n-no… of course not."

Guile allowed a smile at that. "See? Why should we be afraid just because we had a near-death experience? It doesn't change what's already happened, after all. Living in fear will only put a limit on what we can do."

Serge blinked a few times, before he nodded slowly. "…Yeah. Yeah, you're right."

Guile merely nodded back.

However, what he had just told Serge, wasn't the whole truth. It was true, he wasn't afraid of fire, but at times, during his sleep, he was faced with the sight of something so horrifying that it always jolted him awake. And though he wasn't sure about what he had seen in that instant, he knew it had to do with his forgotten past…

Something happened in his past that had scarred him, mentally… quite badly…

But to that, he had no solution; he could only keep moving forward and attempt to forget it entirely. Sadly, that last part was the one thing that was proving itself to be a pain in the neck; how was he supposed to forget about Lucca? About Kid? Hell, about all the other kids that he lost that day?

Despite not showing his emotions on his face, he was itching to learn the truth about what happened that day; the day he lost everything a second time.

The pain it left behind threatened to engulf him, but he had to know. Had to know what had become of them, and if the few who he hadn't found had managed to survive. He could only pray that he could keep the pain in his heart confined until then, before it ripped him apart from the inside…


	4. Extra Part

_**Lost and Found**_

_**Genre:**__ Hurt/Comfort/Romance_

_**Rating:**__ PG-13_

_**Setting:**_ Post-game

_**Spoiler warning:**_ This takes place during and after the new ending of the DS version and also mentions the new ultimate weapons. If you have NOT finished the new ending yet, turn back now!

**_NOTE:_** For those who thought the last part was a little rushed, it's been updated, and this part was created as extra.

**_

* * *

_**_Extra Part_

* * *

"These are…" Serge whispered breathlessly.

"The steps of Sky Dragon Isle?" Steena managed to get out. "This… how is…?"

Guile waited until he was sure neither of the two were going to continue stammering, before he spoke. "Do not forget; this tower rose from the depths with Sky Dragon Isle. It is not that we are now walking on the steps of the Isle, but it is the steps of Terra Tower that we had walked on at Sky Dragon Isle."

Serge and Steena looked at him curiously, before looking to each other for a moment. After a few moments, they only nodded and once more focused on ascending the steep staircase.

The voices that screamed out around them were haunting, but they pressed on regardless. And after what felt like a short eternity, they stood upon the large platform where, once, they had found the Sky Dragon, waiting for them until they had gathered the other five Relics from the other Dragon Gods.

That felt like an eternity now…

The once grassy surface had made place for a smooth, stone surface, gorgeous mosaic-like patterns carved into it. And in the center, there stood an oval pedestal, with a dark orb hovering above it.

Cautiously, they approached the pedestal, hands resting on their weapons. Upon reaching it, though, the orb flashed red, revealing that there were multiple grooves engraved in it. They pulsed a violent red color, as if in response to the trio's arrival… and then the center slid open, and two yellow eyes glared out through an opening that almost resembled a parrot's beak.

That stare made them all freeze on the spot, even as the top unfurled and multiple fire-red, wavy spikes curled out from it, each 'flame' adorned with an eye of its own. Only when it pulsed once more could they move again.

"This… this is it…" Serge choked out, recalling his vision way back in Viper Manor when he had stared into the Dragon Tear. "The… The Frozen Flame…"

"So this is… this is that THING's energy?" Steena whispered, before she tightened her hold on her sword. "Then… we have to destroy it!"

But before she could strike the gem, Guile blocked the blade with his staff. "If I may, Steena, I do not believe that to be a wise idea." Before Steena could retort, he said: "What if, upon hitting this, you'll unleash its energy? We have no idea what will happen when we try."

"But-"

"He's right, Steena; we're talking about something that can take out an entire army of Dragoons, including the 4 Devas… It's… I'm sorry, but it's just too risky."

Steena didn't seem to like that, but she stepped down nonetheless.

Guile allowed a slow nod, before he looked to the Frozen Flame again –

* * *

_"CYRUS!" the boy's voice shouted even as he smashed his hand, surrounded by electricity, into the older knight's chest. The jolt of electricity caused his limbs to spasm unnaturally, and he could almost swear he could pick up the erratic, irregular beating of his heart as the knight was thrown back._

* * *

Guile's eyes snapped open in horror at the sudden image burned onto his retina's. While a person being electrocuted in front of him shouldn't have bothered him so much, the fact that he was looking through the eyes of whoever had electrocuted the man made his blood run cold.

* * *

_He stepped forward as the remains of the knight burnt to ashes, with the boy still crying on his knees despite the wound inflicted on his side. "Hmph. What's wrong?" he called out tauntingly, staring down at the boy as though he were no more than a cockroach, waiting to be squished. "Aren't you going to come at me?"_

_The boy choked as he backed off, staring up at him in horror, his face almost deathly pale._

_A loud cackle rang out from beside him, but he didn't look back to it. "Like a frog glared at by a snake! Youngsters these days." There was a brief pause, before: "Well, how 'bout it, Magus? Why not change his form into something more suitable?"_

_He didn't reply right away, but then a slow smirk spread over his face. "Heh… very well. I'll abolish all those who stand in my way. Without exception!" he said, and brought up his hand._

* * *

Guile screamed and clutched his head in pain.

"Guile?" Serge and Steena rushed to his side as he collapsed to his knees. "Guile, what's wrong?"

"Guile, please! Tell us what's wrong!"

"N-n-n-no! NOOO! STOP! STOP IT! I-I-I'm not… I-I… I'm not! STOOOOP!"

* * *

_The blast of magical energy that erupted from his hand slammed into the boy's chest, making him scream out in agony. In his blind agony, he stumbled away from them… and then he fell right off the ledge with a final scream of suffering that only made his smirk grow into a bloodthirsty grin._

_"Gyah hah hah! You spineless wimp!"_

* * *

…They say that if you stare into the flame… the flame will stare back at you…

* * *

_"Da zuma lafwa roh laira…" he chanted softly, the words reverberating in the room. "Be spun betwixt heaven and earth… In exchange for this world's life…"_

_"MAGUS!"_

_…And of course, cue the 'heroes' with the damn perfect timing. But that voice, not to mention that feeling of magic that was all too familiar… Ah. Right._

_"Oh… that frog from the other time…?" he asked, almost lazily, despite how he had to struggle to not grind his teeth in anger. He was almost there. He was **this** close! "How's your life been after that?"_

_"I'm grateful," said the frog, actually surprising him, despite that he didn't show it. "It's because of such a form…" He paused to pull out a sword from its scabbard. "That's I have what I've got!"_

_…! That energy… it couldn't be… it should have been destroyed… he snapped that blade in half 10 years ago…_

_"Oh… the Grandleon? Hmph. But this time, those of the earth had better not hinder me," he spoke simply. No sooner had he said that, or a familiar wind started brewing, sending an all too familiar shiver down his spine. "The Black Wind has begun to howl…"_

_A smirk played on his face as he spoke again. "Very well… come at me…" he said, before he whipped around with his scythe in hand. "If it's death you seek!"_

* * *

'This isn't me…!' Guile couldn't even hear the voices of his friends as he struggled to shove away the visions swimming through his head. They hurt, and they made his heart pound viciously in his chest. 'This can't be me…! I… I would never… I'd never…!'

But then a sound pierced through his skull that made him scream bloody murder.

It wasn't anything of this world… but it was a sound that made him shake in fright like a child…

It was…

That sound… that screech… it was…

…it was…

…Lavos…

* * *

_"How long have I waited impatiently for this day's coming?" he whispered softly, a pleased, but bloodthirsty grin on his face, before he discarded the cloak he had worn during his entire visit. "It's been a while… Lavos…" he said icily. "On that far-off day, I swore… To crush you by my hand! Even if it comes to losing everything for that sake! Finally… the time to fulfill that oath has come!"_

* * *

'But… I couldn't do it… I couldn't match ITS power…' Guile felt water trickling from his eyes, but he couldn't reach up to stop them. 'I couldn't… I couldn't save… couldn't save her… Sis… Schala…'

* * *

_"If I strain the last of my pendant's power, I can probably at least transfer all of you above ground." She looked away, biting her lip sadly. "Though I don't expect them to be forgiven… Please, my mother… This country… Don't hate them." She turned back to them and said: "I'm sorry…! Now, to the surface!"_

_As she began to chant, he climbed back up to shaky legs and opened his mouth to speak… but nothing came out. He couldn't say it… it was on the tip of his tongue but the words… they just wouldn't come. As much as he wished for them to be said… they refused to leave his throat._

_And then the moment had passed and his vision of the darkened room faded away as a single tear rolled down his cheek._

* * *

…For every piece of bad luck… a ray of good luck will shine on you some day…

* * *

_"Wait…! You're… you're that boy… Janus…!"_

_He only stared at the girl wordlessly. There was no use denying it now; they probably could've figured it out on their own eventually, anyway. His hair was a dead giveaway, to begin with, and his magic was the second clue. And besides, how else would he have known how and when everything was to happen in the Kingdom?_

_Rather than respond to that, he turned back around to face the ocean. And he wondered… would it be cold if he were to 'accidentally' fall down… or would the cliffs kill him before he could notice?_

_"I went on living… thinking only of beating IT…" he spoke softly. "I was swallowed in the swirl IT made, fell into the Middle Ages, and since then…" He snorted. That part was history. "You just had to get in the way of my summoning of Lavos in my castle… Hah…" He laughed haughtily then. "Who'd have guessed that, swallowed yet again in a dimensional swirl, it was this era I would reach… It's ironic…"_

_He paused to stare ahead of him to the slowly setting sun. "…Knowing history, I approached the queen as a prophet and waited to confront Lavos… But the results…"_

_The tension in the air told him that they all remembered._

_"…Lavos's power is tremendous. Before IT, the Black Wind of Death blows fiercely against all…" Turning with a harsh frown that didn't reach his eyes, he spoke icily: "At this rate, you too will have the same fate… The same fate as 'Crono'."_

_"…! Wha! Don't you dare talk bad about my buddy, you-" the girl snarled out._

_"He's dead!" he interrupted. "The weak die like worms! That is all…"_

_The girl growled angrily and pulled out her weapon, training it on him. "You arrogant pig!"_

_"…You would fight, here, now…?" he asked slowly, hand poised on his scythe, as though he had any intentions of fighting back. But he hadn't; all the fight had left him the moment he had woken up on that icy beach, let alone that Lavos had sucked up the majority of his magic power, leaving him with only the level two elemental spells, sans Dark Bomb. He had lost everything… twice. He had said it didn't matter, but his heart disagreed with that. It **was** important._

_She looked ready to do it; her finger was itching on the trigger, and had already pulled back a bit… but then her fingers fell away…_

_"No…" she said finally, placing her weapon back. "If we fight you now… what good will that do us? It won't bring him back… won't bring anyone back."_

_'Wha… what! She… she's not going to… w-why?'_

_"Goodbye, Magus."_

_And with that, they just turned and left. Just like that; just turned and left._

_Left alone once more, he only stared at them for a long moment, before he snarled angrily and turned back to the ocean. Once more, his gaze fell to the waters below as he stepped dangerously close to the edge. Wouldn't it be funny if the edge he was on right there would crumble just then and drag him down to hell?_

_That's where he belonged for all he did, anyway…_

_But the ledge did not crumble, no giant fish jumped up to gobble him up, or anything similar. That would've been too easy._

_Slowly, he raised one foot and moved it forward, willing himself to take that one, final step into the abyss from whence he had come. But his body refused to make that step; his will was strong, but his body was stronger, pulling his leg back and planting his feet into the snow firmly._

_"Damnit… I can't do **anything** right, can I?" he whispered. "I can't destroy a pitiful kingdom… I can't kill Lavos… I can't save Schala… and now I can't even kill myself! Damnit… I'm… I'm pathetic…"_

_But… some tiny part of him kept saying that… that there was still something he **could** do…_

_"…"_

_Turning his head quietly, he watched the group of three go. Could he really…? And… would they accept him…? Probably not… he had nothing to offer…_

_…or did he?_

_"…Gaspar… the Time Egg…!"_

_Realization dawning in his mind, he finally turned fully and took quick steps to catch up. "Wait!"_

* * *

Guile choked when the pain finally stopped, panting for breath. His mind was racing to catch up to what he had learned and as much as he wanted to believe that he couldn't have done everything he had done in those visions, a distant part of his mind told him it was no use. He had lost his past, but it had found him once again, reminding him that there was no escape…

"Guile… are you…?" Serge's voice asked, and the illusionist looked up.

"I am all right; I was just… reminded of something when I looked into the flame. My apologies."

He couldn't tell them… it wasn't their problem. Once everything was over… then he would set everything right again.

He had to…

* * *

At the end of their "trip", Guile found that his memories were, once again, toyed with. At least… the memories concerning what had happened with… what was his name again? Oh well… That boy with the bandana. He still remembered the boy's face (partially), but his name had simply disappeared.

But one thing had not; his _true_ memories…

Guile… Janus… or Magus…

Which of those three was he, really?

Guile had been an identity made to hunt down Lynx, and attempt to forget about the horrors he had faced. Losing Lucca, the orphans, and everyone that had mattered had made him resort to this. So, in all honesty, Guile was someone who didn't really exist.

Janus… He had only used that name when he was a child and when he had lost his memory. As a child, it was either said with reference by the older inhabitants of Zeal, or disgust by the other children. Even after he had decided to cover up his magic abilities, making it seem like he had no magic, the children he had 'attacked' with it hadn't forgotten. That was the main reason he had never had any real friends as a child…

But was he Janus…? He wasn't sure…

Magus… god… he didn't really want to think about that…

But there was no denying that he had spent most of his life as said mage. A past drenched in blood, and one he couldn't shake off. He couldn't even remember how many people he had killed while using that name. And yet he had never shook it off, never changed his name back or into something else… After all, it wasn't something he could let go of so soon.

When he had lost his memories, he had wanted to know his past at all cost… but now… he wished he didn't…

It only left him more confused than ever…

Who was he supposed to be now?

"_Meooow!_"

Surprised, he blinked at that and looked back. What he saw there, startled him beyond belief.

"…Alfador?" he whispered as a small, dark purple-furred cat walked over, meowing happily. "How did… where did you come from?" he asked as he bent down to pet the cat.

"_Meeooow!_"

As if responding to his questions, which he wouldn't find all that strange, the cat hurried off. Guile instantly ran to keep up. That cat was a lot smaller, but definitely no less faster than he was.

Soon enough, he found himself in an area he didn't recognize… or remembered. "…Where is this…?" he wondered, looking back the way he'd come. But again, he saw nothing he remembered. And now that he thought about it… he couldn't even remember most of the trip there.

How had he…?

"Janus!" a familiar voice suddenly screamed out, making him tense before he looked over.

"Lu…Lucca?"

The purple haired scientist was standing there with her hands on her hips and that cheeky smile on her face, glasses pushed up on her nose as usual. "What took you so long? Come on! Let's get going!"

He was about to ask, but then he noticed the other people standing a little further behind, obviously waiting. 'No way…'

"How did… what… huh?"

"Hey, c'mon, man! Let's get a move on!" Crono laughed, thumbing over his shoulder to wherever they were clearly planning to head off to.

"Go go go go!" Ayla cheered, making Marle giggle. "We go now! Have much much fun! Dance sing eat drink!"

A familiar beeping sound drew Guile's attention to the metallic, golden colored robot standing next to Ayla. "My sensors indicate it is high time to move ahead."

The only one of the group who had nothing to say was the green-haired man waiting and watching from behind Crono. He didn't remember him, but it wasn't really that hard to figure out who he was.

"…Where are we going?" he asked after a moment.

"Our next big adventure, of course!" Crono called out with a big grin.

Guile blinked in question, but when he looked at Lucca, she nodded and held out her hand to him.

For a long moment, he wasn't sure what to do, but then there was a mewl from near his feet. Upon looking to his feet, he noticed Alfador, a lazy cat smile on his face, before he tottered over to where the others stood.

His sense of logic was eating at him that this couldn't be right… there was just no way that this could be real…

But his heart clenched tightly at the sight of his old 'companions'.

Long ago, he would've claimed that he had only been alive until he had lost his sister. But after so long, he came to the realization that, the only time when he had ever felt truly alive… had been when he had been with the group of time travelers.

Chuckling softly, he shook his head. "Fine, if I must."

Without hesitation, he stepped forward and toward his old… 'friends', he supposed was the best word in this situation.

He didn't know what "new adventure" the group had planned, but he may as well enjoy the ride for however long it lasted.

After all; he'd been lost for long enough. It was high time he found himself again.

* * *

**One thing to note about the North Cape scene; in the SNES and Playstation versions, Magus just faded out after you beat him the second time. However, in the DS version, he runs to the edge and is struck down by a bolt of lightning. Which clearly hints that Magus was pretty much suicidal at that point, since he most likely knew that his powers had been sucked dry by Lavos. I mean, he didn't have a chance at full power, why would he after having his energy drained?**

**Anyway, this part just came to me one day when I remembered that Guile actually does say something to the extent of "I'm not like that!" if he's first in line when approaching the Frozen Flame. I guess this was where they had intended to make the connection between Guile and Magus that never came about (and in the end did), but oh well.  
**


End file.
